Nawaz Sharif

The 2024 Pakistani general election, held on February 8, was marred by widespread allegations of electoral manipulation and rigging, with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party at the center of controversy.

The election was characterized by significant irregularities, including:

Pre-Poll Manipulation: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Supreme Court banned the use of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party's electoral symbol, the cricket bat, forcing its candidates to run as independents.

Internet Shutdown: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority imposed a nationwide internet shutdown on election day, raising concerns about suppressing online dissent and media coverage.

Delayed Results: The ECP delayed the release of official results, leading to confusion and mistrust among voters and political parties.

orm 45 and Form 47 Discrepancies: Activists and politicians, including former Prime Ministers Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Imran Khan, alleged that Form 45s (actual results) were manipulated to match pre-prepared Form 47s, casting doubt on the authenticity of the results.

NA-130 Lahore-XIV: PTI candidate Yasmin Rashid claimed she won the seat against Nawaz Sharif but alleged that Sharif secured victory through the addition of 74,000 fraudulent votes. Civil society organization PATTAN described the election in this constituency as "historic rigging."

NA-48 Islamabad-III: Independent candidate Raja Khurram Shehzad Nawaz, who later joined PML-N, faced allegations of rigging in his constituency. The Islamabad High Court suspended his victory notification, and an audit revealed manipulation in the election results.

At a rally in Lahore on his return from exile, Nawaz said:
"Where are our sisters? Look how respectfully our sisters are listening to this rally. There is no one dancing to music here. Do you understand what I am saying or not?"

The remark was criticised in the Senate, and opposition lawmakers said Sharif should be taught how to respect women.

It was seen as sexist (by singling out women’s behavior and contrasting it with other female supporters) and highlighted concerns about paternalistic tone towards women in politics.

The Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment (HME) corruption case was a significant legal proceeding in Pakistan involving former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The case stemmed from the Panama Papers leak, which revealed offshore assets linked to Sharif's family.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed the Al-Azizia and HME references against Nawaz Sharif, alleging that he could not justify the sources of funds used to establish these businesses in Saudi Arabia. The case was one of several initiated following the Supreme Court's 2017 disqualification of Sharif under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution, which pertains to honesty and trustworthiness.

The Avenfield Properties case was a pivotal corruption trial in Pakistan that centered on the ownership of four luxury apartments in London by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family. The case emerged from the revelations in the Panama Papers leak, which exposed significant offshore assets held by the Sharif family.

In July 2018, an accountability court convicted Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, and his son-in-law Captain Safdar in the Avenfield reference. Nawaz Sharif was sentenced to 10 years in prison for owning assets beyond known sources of income and an additional 1 year for non-cooperation with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Maryam Nawaz received a 7-year sentence for abetment and 1 year for non-cooperation, while Captain Safdar was sentenced to 1 year for aiding and abetting. The court also imposed fines of £8 million on Nawaz and £2 million on Maryam, and ordered the confiscation of the Avenfield properties.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) approved an inquiry in June 2018 into Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for allegedly awarding a 15-year contract for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in violation of rules and through misuse of power, causing loss to the national exchequer.

The inquiry states that the contract was awarded to a “company of their liking” rather than via proper transparent bidding.

Prior to that, in March 2014, Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) had raised objections to how the LNG terminal contract was being handled by the government led by Sharif’s party — such as awarding a contract without full tendering, exemption from procurement rules, and only one bid received.

In August 2020, NAB alleged that Abbasi received a kickback of ~Rs 736 million in relation to the LNG terminal contract and transferred ~Rs 560 million to his son’s account. While this focuses on Abbasi, Sharif is also named in the case.

In an interview, Nawaz asked: "Militant organisations are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can’t we complete the trial?"

His party later claimed the Indian media "grossly misinterpreted" his remarks.

The Pakistan Army and civil establishment held a meeting of the NSC (National Security Council) in the wake of his remarks, signalling institutional concern.

Why controversial: Because referencing the Mumbai attacks so frankly-and questioning the ability to complete the trial-was seen as politically and diplomatically sensitive; also raised questions about Pakistan’s role in cross-border terrorism.

The Panama Papers scandal was a major global financial leak that revealed how wealthy individuals, including politicians, hid assets in offshore companies to avoid taxes or scrutiny. In Pakistan, this scandal implicated Nawaz Sharif, who was the Prime Minister at the time.

In April 2016, the Panama Papers - over 11.5 million leaked documents from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca - were published.

The documents exposed offshore companies and secret accounts belonging to politicians, businesspeople, and celebrities worldwide.

For Pakistan, these documents highlighted that Nawaz Sharif’s family owned offshore companies and luxury properties in London.

The papers showed that Sharif’s children - Maryam, Hassan, and Hussain Nawaz - owned offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands.

These companies were allegedly used to buy luxury London flats worth millions of pounds.

The Sharif family was accused of not disclosing these assets in official documents submitted to Pakistan’s Election Commission.

Questions were raised about the source of funds used to purchase these properties.

Critics argued that owning undisclosed assets abroad violated Pakistan’s anti-corruption and accountability laws.

In the Asghar Khan case, Nawaz Sharif has been named as one of the politicians allegedly receiving money (part of the ~Rs 140 million distributed by ISI / Mehran Bank).
According to reports, Sharif was alleged to have received: Rs 3.5 million (from Lt. Gen (retd) Asad Durrani), Rs 2.5 million (from Younis Habib, Mehran Bank)

A banker (Younis Habib) claimed to have personally delivered cash to Nawaz Sharif’s home.

According to a scholarly analysis, a “substantial part” of the funds arranged by Mehran Bank was used for the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI), including for Sharif.

Sharif has strongly denied these allegations.

In his reply to the Supreme Court (in the Asghar Khan case), he stated he never received the amounts claimed (Rs 3.5m or Rs 2.5m) from Durrani or Habib.

He also said that his statement was recorded before FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) back in 2015, where he denied any receipt of ISI money.

In that 2015 FIA statement, he added that if it were proved he had received money, he was willing to return it with interest.

At the time, Nawaz Sharif was serving his second term as Prime Minister.

A confrontation had developed between Nawaz Sharif’s government and Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah.

The Chief Justice had taken contempt of court proceedings against the Prime Minister.

This triggered an aggressive response from Sharif’s supporters in his party — Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N).

On 28 November 1997, a mob of PML-N activists stormed the Supreme Court building in Islamabad while the Chief Justice was hearing a contempt case against Nawaz Sharif.

The crowd broke through security barriers, vandalized property, and shouted slogans inside the courtroom.

The judges had to suspend proceedings and escape to safety.

The event was widely condemned as an attack on the judiciary and democracy.

The Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah was later removed after internal divisions in the Supreme Court.

The crisis eventually led to President Farooq Leghari’s resignation on 2 December 1997, citing loss of moral authority.

The Mehrangate scandal was a major political controversy in Pakistan in 1990, and it involved allegations of political manipulation and misuse of funds during the general elections of that year.

In 1990, Pakistan was preparing for general elections after the dismissal of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s government by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan.

The elections were largely contested between Nawaz Sharif’s Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) and Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Mehrangate was named after Mehran Bank, which allegedly became a vehicle for distributing illegal funds to influence the elections.

The scandal damaged the credibility of Pakistan’s electoral process at the time.

Investigations were conducted by a judicial commission in the 1990s, but few were held accountable due to political influence and military involvement.

It is widely viewed as an example of state manipulation of elections in Pakistan’s history.